A Trivariate Analysis of Mediterranean Diet and Associations with the Gut Microbiota and Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis

The interplay between diet and the gut microbiota in multiple sclerosis (MS) is poorly understood. We conducted a case-control study to assess an interrelationship between diet, the gut microbiota, and MS by including 95 participants (44 pediatric-onset MS cases, 51 unaffected controls) enrolled from the Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Disease Network study. All had completed a food-frequency questionnaire less than or equal to 21 years of age, and 59 also provided a stool sample. Findings suggest that the potential interaction between diet and the gut microbiota is relevant in MS.